//------------------------------// // Arc 3: Chapter 10 // Story: Student 32: Sunset Shimmer // by Show Stopper //------------------------------// The evening wind blew hard as Sunset watched Sakura Lane from her hiding spot amongst the pink-blossomed trees. She’d invented a story about checking something out in Library Island, so she could stay out late without Yue and Nodoka getting worried. She hated how much she was having to lie to them lately. They’re going to figure it out eventually anyway, she thoughts, adjusting herself on the branch she sat on as she watched the setting sun. They’re both incredibly smart, even if Baka Black refuses to study most of the time. Between me living with them and the kid being so careless, it’s going to come out. She sighed as the sun fell below the horizon, looking down at the students who were making their way home to the dorms. “Guess I’ll have to figure out how to tell them sooner rather than later.” “Tell who what, de gozaru?” Sunset stood, spinning on her branch and sending a kick straight into Kaede’s hand. The green-haired, squinty-eyed ninja didn’t even flinch, just held Sunset steady and studied her face. “Good kick, but you wasted time by standing up. You should have gone for a low sweep, de gozaru.” Sunset grunted, lowering her leg and sitting down again, leaning back against the trunk of the tree. “I’ll work on that,” she said, her tone equal parts snark and sincerity. “What do you want, anyway?” “I want our class to be happy,” Kaede replied, her eyebrows lowering slightly, “a task that you are complicating, de gozaru.” Sunset shrugged, her gaze drifting back to her namesake. “Hey, they leave me alone, I leave them alone. Then everyone can be happy, happy, happy. There, nice and simple for Baka Blue.” Kaede’s eyes narrowed further. “You know that will not happen, de gozaru. Our classmates aren’t the sort to leave someone behind. I worry about what you will do once their antics overwhelm your patience.” “You already know what happens,” Sunset said, turning her eyes from the sky to the street, watching the students that passed beneath, unaware of the conversation occuring right above their heads. “You were there when I ripped into all of you.” “That was not a loss of patience, de gozaru.” Sunset stiffened slightly, turning an eye back to the taller girl. “That was planned to cut them off before your patience could run out. An attack like that is easy to counter with cheerful spirits and a few observant eyes.” Her eyebrows lowered further into a glare. “Those who speak in true anger cut much deeper; their words are as visceral as they are true, de gozaru.” Sunset turned her head to face Kaede fully, matching the girl’s glare with one of her own. “Strangely insightful, Baka Blue. You sure you aren’t pulling your punches in class?” “People are easier to read than books.” Sunset chuckled, turning her gaze back down to the street. “So, what now? I can tell you’re a much better fighter than I could ever hope to be.” Without magic, that is. “Is this where you threaten me with horrible bodily harm if I don’t change my attitude?” Kaede sighed and shook her head. “Your violent attitude concerns me. I came to talk, not to threaten, de gozaru.” “So a lecture, then. Sorry, but the best lecturer in the world has a hard time changing my mind. I know; she’s tried many times.” “Then I will have to see if my method works better than hers, de gozaru.” Kaede pointed down at a silver-blue haired girl who was walking by. “Starting with Izumi-chan.” “Ako?” Sunset asked, surprised. “Are you kidding? I barely said anything to her.” “She was probably the one that you hurt the most.” Sunset stared in Kaede in shock, but the taller girl kept her gaze on Ako. “She has little self-confidence. Always to the side or in the back. Never drawing attention to herself. Not that she doesn’t try, but she always hesitates too long and someone else in the class takes the lead, de gozaru.” Sunset shrugged, watching the girl as well. “Okay, but so what? There are a lot of girls like that out there.” “But those girls aren’t in our class.” Kaede sat down on the branch, crossing her legs. “You have noticed that our class has many interesting people, de gozaru. For a girl like Izumi-san, that’s difficult. She often feels like she has nothing to contribute, that she is nothing more than a side character in other people’s lives. It doesn’t help that her main distinguishing feature is one of shame, de gozaru.” Sunset pondered for a moment as Ako walked beneath them. It was only when she passed them that Sunset realized what Kaede meant. “Her scar…” Kaede nodded. “I don’t know how she got it, but she used to hide it far more than she does now, de gozaru. She used to go to a corner of the room whenever we changed. Took baths at odd hours to avoid most of the class. From what I hear, even her roommates didn’t know about it for the first few weeks, de gozaru.” “And she sees that as the only thing that sets her apart.” Sunset sighed and closed her eyes, massaging the bridge of her nose. “Ignoring her cool hair and her skills on the bass guitar. And telling her to keep being a wallflower just reinforced it.” Kaede nodded, standing up. “I’m not going to ask you to completely change,” she said. “ Most of our class is cheerful or confident enough to blunt your sharp edges. However, I will ask that you consider the more fragile members of our class, de gozaru.” “Yeah, yeah,” Sunset muttered. “I get it. I’ll give her a pep--talk or something.” She looked up. “How did you even know-” Kaede was gone. Sunset blinked, shifting her weight a little. The branch she was on moved up and down slightly, a shift that hadn’t occurred when Kaede had left. She shook her head and turned her attention back to the road as the streetlights started turning on. “Freaking ninja.” ***** “Well, I’m going home first, Nodoka.” “All right!” Sunset watched as Nodoka separated from her group, heading back towards the school for some additional late-night studying. Sunset had seen nothing suspicious during the hours she’d spent in the trees by Sakura Lane, and she was beginning to think that she had wasted her evening. Just as well, she thought, standing up and straightening out her skirt. I’d prefer more time to research this world’s monsters before having to fight one. Let’s hope that- A chill ran down her spine. Her blood turned to ice, a void opening in her stomach. If she’d still had her pony ears, they’d have flattened to her head. She’s here! Sunset leapt down from her branch, landing quietly at the base of the tree and looking around. Where is she? Show yourself you overgrown leech. A light tap caught her ears. She turned. Looked up. A figure had alighted upon one of the streetlights, draped in a tattered black cloak and bearing a pointed witch’s hat. Her cloak and long blonde hair billowed in the wind, beautiful and dark all at once. Nodoka stood frozen in shock as the figure leared down at her. “Seat number 27, Miyazaki Nodoka, isn’t it?” the figure said as Sunset crept closer, pulling out her wand and chanting under her breath. “Sorry, but I’ll be taking some of that blood of yours.” “Sagita magica, series ignis!” The figure paused, turning to watch as thirteen bolts of fire flew towards her. She leapt from the lamppost, nimbly dodging the exploding projectiles and fluttering to the ground. Sunset stepped out from the treeline, her wand pointed straight at the figure. “You won’t be taking anyone’s blood tonight, Evangeline.” “Ni-Ni-Ni-Ni-chi-chan?!” Nodoka stammered, staring from the figure to Sunset to the destroyed lamppost and back. “Wh-wh-what… How…” “Nodoka-san! Nichibotsu-san!” Nodoka looked over her shoulder, her shock only growing as she saw Negi approaching, riding on his staff af if it were a magic broomstick. He leapt off as he neared them, skidding to a stop and pointing his staff at the cloaked figure. “Undecim spiritus aeris wincurm, fientus iminicum caputent.” His staff began glowing at the tip with light blue energy. “Sagita magica, air captorae!” Sunset stepped aside as eleven bolts of energy shot from the tip of the staff, hurtling towards the figure. “So, you two have worked it out already,” the figure muttered, pulling a glass bottle full of blue liquid and dropping it. “Reflectio.” The glass shattered as it hit the ground, a wall of ice appearing before the bolts of magic. Crap! Sunset tackled Nodoka to the ground, covering her head as the energy shot over them both. “Damn it, kid! Make sure civilians are out of the line of fire before you start shooting those arrows!” “Ho ho ho, such strong magical power. I’m impressed.” Sunset looked up, glaring at the figure. Her hat had been blown off, revealing her young face and confirming Sunset’s suspicions. “Y-y-you’re from my class!” Negi stammered, staring in shock. "E-Evangeline-san?!” “Keep your guard up, kid,” Sunset said, standing up and motioning for Nodoka to stay down. "She’s no standard mage; she’s an honest to Tenko vampire.” “T-Tenko?” “Well well,” Evangeline remarked, giving Sunset an appraising look. “That explains what’s so strange about you. So you’re from that world.” She grinned, licking her lips. “Interesting. It’s been a while since I last sampled horse blood.” Sunset grit her teeth, turning her wand back to Evangeline. “Keep talking,” she said, glaring at her, “and you’ll see just how hard this horse can buck.” “W-w-wait!” Negi stepped forward, waving his arms frantically. “We don’t need to fight!” His attention turned to Evangeline. “Y-you’re a mage like us, right? Why are you doing this?” “It’s rather simple,” Evangeline replied, pulling two more bottles from her robes. “In this world, Sensei, there are good mages, and there are bad ones.” She popped the corks off, flinging the bottles at him and Sunset. “Lanceam glacies!” Sunset whipped her wand through the air. “Telum ignis!” Two spears of magic shot at each other, one of ice and the other of fire. They exploded against each other, creating a massive curtain of steam. Sunset glared at the mist, barely able to make out Evangeline’s outline. “Negi! We’ve got to-” “Negi!” “Negi-kun!” Sunset tisked, glancing over her shoulder. Konoka and Asuna were rushing towards them, concern written on their faces. We don’t need this! Sunset thought. Honya was bad enough, but we can’t keep this fight up with another non-mage in the mix! A low chuckle echoed through the mist. Sunset whipped her head back to Evangeline, but she was already fleeing. Perfect. “Kid!” she shouted. “Take Asuna and get after her! I’ll take care of Honya!” “R-right!” Negi turned and dashed off through the steam, Asuna right behind him. “N-Nichi-chan?” Konoka asked, staring from the fading mist to the warped and charred lamppost. “Wh-what’s going on? Who are they going after?” “The person who attacked Makie,” Sunset replied, slipping her wand into her pocket before Konoka could notice it. “They went after Nodoka, too. Lucky the kid and I were here to stop them.” She leaned down, holding her hand out to Nodoka. “You alright, Honya?” Nodoka starred in bewilderment between Sunset and the now empty street before hesitantly taking her hand, standing up with Sunset’s help. “Y-yes,” she stammered, her eyes darting to the pocket that now held Sunset’s wand. “B-b-but, I don’t understand. What’s going on? How did you and Sensei-” “I’ll explain everything later,” Sunset interrupted, looking around for any sign of Evangeline or any possible accomplices. “For now, let’s get back home. I don’t feel comfortable out here in the open after that.”